Excellent Jews

What Does Judaism Think

Friday, January 12. 2018

It's no secret that Jews strive for excellence, and very often achieve it. Just look at the tremendously disproportionate number of Jewish Nobel prize winners! Why is this important, and how did it come about? The answer may lie in the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

A question often asked is why it was necessary to bring 10 plagues in order to liberate the Israelites? For example, the rabbis of the Midrash tell us a story of how Pharaoh was terrified by Aaron's staff. After it swallowed up the staffs of the Egyptian magicians, Pharaoh was terrified that the staff was going to come for him next.

So, why didn't Moses indeed threaten to sick the staff on Pharaoh unless he let the Israelites go? He most certainly would've agreed! Not only does this not happen, but God allows the Egyptian magicians to re-create some of Moses' miracles. They can turn their staffs into reptiles, they can turn water into blood, they can bring out more frogs into Egypt. Then, there are some plagues they can't do, such as lice and wild animals. The last time they are mentioned is when the plague of skin boils occurs, and "the magicians could not stand in front of Moses because of their boils." What does this little anecdote tell us?

Another question that bothers me is the seemingly dishonest way that Moses phrases his request to Pharaoh. "Let us go three days in the wilderness, so we may sacrifice to our Lord," Moses requests. It is clear to us, however, that Moses has no intention of returning to Egypt after those three days. When the Israelites go, they will go for eternity. So why not be honest with Pharaoh, and tell him exactly what he is asking for?

The answer to the first question is quite profound. The Exodus was not exclusively for the benefit of the Israelites, but rather for the Egyptians, and, through them, for the entire world. The Exodus continues to this day! The echoes of that transformative event are reflected in the editorial choices of almost every news organization, world over. How so?

God instructs Moses in the art of persuasion. The entire process of the 10 plagues, including God hardening Pharaoh's heart, was geared to persuade Egypt to change its direction. And not just Egypt, rather the whole world.

Rabbi Meir Simcha of Divinsk explains the importance of Egypt and its magicians. This was the great Empire of the day. This was the land where science and culture were at their peak. The entire world looked to Egypt for leadership. It went so deep that, according to the Midrash, the magicians of Pharaoh were actually little children! Egypt was the land of black magic, and thus its theology was also massively influential. What was needed now was the first step of persuasion, to catch attention.

It's no great accomplishment for me to beat my four-year-old son in a running race. It's an impressive accomplishment if I can beat an Olympic gold medal athlete in a running race! That would mean that I am the best. That would get the attention of every single sportswriter in the world.

So it was with Egypt. God allows the Egyptian magicians to ply their craft, but, at some point, He shows His mastery over them. As the song goes, "anything you can do, I can do better." God is Master of the Masters, King of the Kings. Rabbi Meir Simcha explains that the fact that the magicians couldn't stand before Moses because of the boils as being one of embarrassment, not physical ability. They were humiliated, because they themselves had boils, but could not inflict them on Moses. They could no longer compete.

There is a hidden lesson here. A Jew, whose eyes are always to God, will strive for excellence. A great Rabbi, Rabbi Elijah of Vilna, was known far and wide as a brilliant mathematician. When a leading mathematician, who was an assimilated Jews, met the Rabbi, he asked him how the Rabbi knew so much about math? After all, most of his time was spent in studying Torah! While he, himself, was devoted exclusively to math, and yet this Rabbi knew as much as he did.

The Rabbi answered with a parable: a man sees a shop owner deliver a large order in many boxes, and realizes that the customer gets to keep the boxes. This man needed boxes himself, so he asked the shop owner to give him a supply. The shop owner then quoted a high price to him. "But that other man got all those boxes for free," said the man. "Correct," said the shop owner, "but he paid for a large order of goods. The boxes were simply included in that order."

In other words, because the Rabbi was immersed in Torah, the "boxes" of worldly wisdom, including mathematics, are included at very low cost. But you, who have no interest in Torah, and only focus on the mathematics, must pay the full price in time and effort.

In order for the Jew to fulfill his purpose in the world, he must pursue excellence in every field of endeavor that he engages. Most importantly, he must pursue ethical excellence. By doing so, we gain the attention of all of humanity. They then ponder where all of this excellence came from, and will thus find their way to God. It is God who gives us the power and wisdom to achieve excellence. If we believe in God, we must pursue excellence. If you don't buy enough Godliness, you won't get the boxes.

But that is not where it stops, because intellectual attention will not bring about a change in behavior. For that, we need action. In our prayers, we ask God to help us "learn and teach, guard and do." I believe that is why Moses asked for three days, and why God kept hardening Pharaoh's heart. It was critical to get Pharaoh to take one good step, do one good thing, for the right reasons. Had he released the Israelites from fear, it would not have indicated any change in his character. That was not the end game. It was to get Pharaoh started on the path of goodness.

That's why I believe that when Moses was asking for three days in the wilderness, he intended to initiate Pharaoh on a path of good deeds that would culminate with his ultimate release of the Israelites forever. Let them go for three days, "and then let's talk." Such is human nature. We crave consistency, and if Pharaoh can do a completely good deed, let the Israelites go for three days, and not from fear but from kindness, he will then continue on that new path. He will release the slaves, and perhaps change the Egyptian society. And from there, to he whole world.

In the end, even this failed, but that's not important. Humans have free choice, and Pharaoh chose evil until the end. What's important for us is to learn what Moses attempted to do. Our job as Jews and as God's partners, as it were, is to persuade the entire world to live according to God's will. We don't do it with the sword, because the sword does not change the heart. We do it in the method of the Exodus:
1. Gain the world's attention by showing that God is the source of all excellence, and
2. Encourage the world to take baby steps in the direction of goodness. Once that is accomplished, change and redemption will grow faster and faster.